Buffalo Trace Single Barrel Select Bourbon

Beginning my Buffalo Trace review series with a single barrel selection from a club. The aroma presents powdered sugar over cooked cinnamon apples and butterscotch candy, followed by milk chocolate covered pecans, then subtle fruit notes of cherry and orange peel that evolve into spearmint and very light baking spices with minimal alcohol sting. The taste has a thin mouthfeel, starting with tart apple before a mild, bitter pepper spice that gradually fades to cocoa nibs, followed by light fruits like maraschino cherries and orange zest that transition to spearmint and light baking spices with low alcohol burn. The finish is brief, featuring cocoa nibs, sautéed cinnamon apples, orange creamsicle, spearmint, and light baking spices. Overall, it's an easy spirit to sip but rather uninspired. Identifying flavors beyond apple and cinnamon is challenging as they are very subtle, leading to a taste akin to a diluted whiskey that is unobjectionable but ultimately unmemorable. At $50, the price seems too high, and I would rather opt for a WT 101, as I find it a superior whiskey, though my palate generally finds Buffalo Trace products unremarkable aside from their Blanton's Gold and Stagg Jr.

Selected By: One Stop Package Warehouse: N Barrel: #417 This review was composed after the protagonist stopped bleeding. Nose presents green apple. Essential. Oak. Palate contains apple and sugar. A touch of chocolate. Finish features cinnamon, vanilla, and char. Abundant sugar on the finish. This does not taste significantly different from the standard Buffalo Trace, which is not a negative. I am quite fond of standard Buffalo Trace. While I haven't compared them side-by-side, based on my recollection, this version is slightly more intense and dynamic than the standard. However, the core flavors are so characteristic of Buffalo Trace that the distinctions tend to blend into typical daily palate variations. It requires a considerable amount for me to offer a favorable review for a bottle that caused a severe cut, but a well-made Buffalo Trace achieves this. Update: The cut took nine days to heal completely. It was worth it.

Buffalo Trace Barrel Select tasted blind. Nose: Hints of fruit and caramel. Taste: Sweet with fruit and caramel notes. The flavors are not intense but are enjoyable. It has a low-proof character. If this spirit were higher proof, it could be exceptional. Finish: The caramel and fruitiness persist, joined by a touch of cinnamon. Overall: A very pleasing and easy-to-drink spirit. The caramel and fruity notes are present throughout. It lacks significant complexity or development during consumption, likely due to its lower proof. If this spirit were higher proof, I might absolutely love it. Score: 3.5/5

Chosen by: Station House Liquor Nose presents brine and malt. Body offers apple, floral notes, and vanilla. Finish carries perfume and sugar. For me, this is a significant departure, not entirely for the better. I'm a big fan of mainline BT. The apple and vanilla in this selection are pure and clean; I appreciate them here. Yet, the perfume/floral elements are intense. A peculiar brininess feels out of place, and while there's some malt on the nose, that's where it stops. An intriguing whiskey, a good whiskey, but I'll always prefer standard BT over this.

Selected by Pappy’s of Oceanside. The shop assistant suggested this bottle, mentioning he was already on his third one. I see his point now. This is quite enjoyable. Almost matches the quality of the last Blanton’s bottle I finished. Nose: Cherry syrup for a cough, ethanol, subtle baking spices, a whisper of orange marmalade. Palate: Velvety, coating, well-rounded, cherry, baking spices, a touch of bitterness lurking unseen. Finish: Reasonably long, some lingering warmth, cherry and orange notes. Not intricate, but very pleasant.

*** MBS *** Nose - Some cinnamon and baking spice. A burnt, smoky character is present, reminiscent of freshly charred oak. A touch of vanilla sweetness exists but isn't the dominant feature of the nose. Hints of BT cherry, naturally. Palate - It's thin but very enjoyable and more intricate than a standard BT. Notes of baking spice, cherry, and leather. A simple combination that effectively creates complexity in the spice. Finish - Some cherry and cinnamon. It finishes with a pleasant warmth that isn't overwhelming.